In Drive to AI, Employers Shirk Training: Survey

Most corporate leaders expect artificial intelligence to dramatically change the way their companies run in the years ahead, yet few are investing in programs to train workers in the changing role of technology.

That’s according to a survey of more than 1,200 chief executives and other senior managers by global professional-services giant Accenture PLC, released last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Nearly all of the respondents, who were from firms in a range of industries that are using at least some form of AI in operations, said they plan to use intelligent tools to “enhance worker capabilities.”

Another 74% said they expect to automate workplace tasks with AI “to a large or very large extent” within the next three years – as many as half said former job descriptions are becoming obsolete, as automation takes over certain office tasks.

That aligns with the buoyant outlook for the broader AI market. Global spending on cognitive and AI systems is estimated to have increased nearly 60% last year to $12 billion, and is expected to hit $57.6 billion by 2021, according to IDC.

By contrast, just 3% of the business leaders surveyed said they plan to “significantly increase” spending on training – what Accenture researchers called “re-skilling” – to help employees work with new AI-powered technology.

That disconnect may stoke fears among many workers, especially those doing routine or repetitive tasks, that their jobs are at risk of being replaced by automation.

Indeed, Gartner Inc. projects millions of jobs will be displaced by AI in the next few years, as businesses deploy AI-enabled tools to complete these kinds of tasks, before becoming a net job creator by 2020.

A majority of the executives surveyed by Accenture said they expect AI to drive net job growth at their companies within three years. Just over half said “human-machine collaboration” was a key part of growth strategies, the survey said.

Accenture researchers warned that a “low level of commitment” to training might hamper a company’s ability to deploy AI at scale.

Mark Knickrehm, group chief executive at Accenture Strategy, said businesses competing in an AI-driven market need the ability to “rapidly implement intelligent technology and human ingenuity across all parts of their core business to secure this growth.”

That starts by investing in training employees to work with machines in new ways, Mr. Knickrehm said in a statement.

In a separate survey of 14,000 workers’ outlook on AI, Accenture found more than two thirds believed it was important to develop skills to work with intelligent machines, while confidence levels varied by age.